#there’s a lot of western pop music history here
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Smells Like Steady Vocals and Perfect Pitch
Part 1.
I wrote this on April 5th, 2024 in a fit of rage/inspiration. I wasn't going to post it but I've decided to anyway because I'd like to give a little perspective about why Jimin, out of all the members of BTS, is popular in the US, and why I think he has amazing potential as a solo artist if he's given the right team and tools.
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Today is the 30th anniversary of Kurt Cobain's death, so it feels like a sign from the heavens that it's time to write a post I've been composing in my head for months.
So often when I'm on Twitter/X looking for information about Jimin, I see one nasty comment after another downplaying his singing, his artistry, and his talent in general. The phrase repeated the absolute most by the fandom of a particular member is that the reason HYBE invests in one above all the others is because he has the most stable singing voice. And perfect pitch. And the perfect tone for pop music.
Frankly, I get so sick of reading those comments, but I also have to laugh, because it shows such a fundamental misunderstanding of what appeals to music fans in the US/Western countries.
If you open Spotify right now and search for Nirvana, you will see 31.1 million monthly listeners! As a reminder, their last album was released 30 years ago and they only put out 3 major label albums over a 3 year period. Meanwhile, BTS has 28.6 monthly listeners and has a discography a mile long and a career spanning more than 10 years.
Do you honestly think that Nirvana has enjoyed so much popularity over the years because Kurt Cobain had perfect pitch and could sing live? Yeah, no.
I remember where I was the first time I heard "Smells Like Teen Spirit." I couldn't decide if I loved it or hated it, but the song held a strange grip on me. It was sooo different than all the other popular music at the time, even in the alternative scene. It wasn't quite punk, wasn't quite heavy metal. The song was angry and raw, but also oddly charming. But mostly, it was refreshingly different from all the highly produced music that was on radio stations' rotations at the time. Don't believe me? Here's a link to the Billboard Top 100 on the week "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was initially released:
Check out the list and tell me how many of these songs you know. Probably a few, but not many have withstood the test of time (shout out to 3 a.m. Eternal by The KLF, though. That was a fun song).
This was the #1 song that week:
Didn't like it then. Don't like it now.
Now compare that to Smells Like Teen Spirit:
Look at the Billboard list again. Lots R&B (love), dance tracks, a smattering of college radio/alternative tunes, and a whole lot of what we would call easy listening/adult contemporary music. A snooze fest. Nirvana came along at the right time when the American music audience was in desperate need of something more authentic and not so over produced.
Sorry for this long-winded pop music history lesson. Believe it or not, I have a point to make. Americans like a huge range of music styles (as can be seen on the current Billboard charts). We get bored easily. We don't demand a steady voice or perfect pitch. What we want is something new. Something innovative. Something authentic. The biggest western pop stars who have enjoyed long careers in North America know that they must push boundaries and release new, unexpected material in order to stay relevant.
Be it BTS' English trilogy, songs that blatantly emulate American pop singers, or the conveyor belt of 2 minute TikTok-ready tunes sung by Korean girls, so far it doesn't seem like we should expect anything terribly innovative or cutting edge now that Big Hit has morphed into HYBE with its many labels/subsidiaries. Fickle American audiences will move on quickly, in my humble opinion.
One last thing. The US is a huge country with very diverse cultures based upon geographical location. Gender, age, ethnicity, urban vs. rural, and region of the US all influence what people are listening to. What's popular in Atlanta isn't necessarily popular in Salt Lake City, for example. Americans are not a homogenous group and neither is our taste in music.
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oh a little postscript about my floor night, in my section i was actually quite surprised by the number of people over 60 i was seeing on the floor. couples, just older ladies, just older guys, grandparents and grandkids, and i was reminded of way back in 2006 when taylor released her first album, there’s a morning show here in japan that had a longstanding news anchor at the helm for many years named Ogura-san, and he had this music corner every weekday morning where he would share an artist that he likes, and i remember he was a big supporter of taylor from her debut. always had great things to say about her. i’ve been living in japan for essentially the entirety of taylor’s career and my first introduction to her was via this news program. anyway he’s like maybe 75 now and retired from television but, as i was sitting waiting for the show to start and looking around at all these dapper people in their 60s and 70s i was reminded of how there really has been great support for taylor from japan from the very start. she touched on it in one of her speeches, just said a simple “thank you for supporting me from the beginning” but it’s really true and i really think that meant a lot to a lot of people in the audience, some you might not expect. sort of warmed my heart.
#like i think it’s a little more than just japan being a tour hub for asia.#especially in the 90s and 2000’s it was the place to go to launch your global career#not so much anymore but like… we’re talking britney spears we’re talking christina aguilera we’re talking mariah carey#and further back there’s michael jackson and the beatles#i’m also reminded of the kinship between like.. the backstreet boys and SMAP.#there’s a lot of western pop music history here
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Hobby Drama: Emilie Autumn's Asylum [Part 1]
u/pillowcase-of-eels posted a link to their fandom-and-EA-history write up to the r/EmilieAutumn Reddit, and I thought it would be a fun project to share! 2 out of 7 parts have been posted to r/HobbyDrama so far.
Picture this: it's the early 2010s, somewhere in the western world. Instagram is a novelty, Harvey Weinstein runs Hollywood, almost no one on Earth leans one way or the other about RNA vaccines, and Donald Trump is that one real estate guy you vaguely remember from Home Alone 2. New player Lady Gaga is the most interesting thing to have happened to pop since Madonna, and the whole industry is attempting to catch up; Miley Cyrus is the chick who used to be on Hannah Montana; Melanie Martinez hasn't hatched yet. The time of Oddball Concept Divas is dawning just below the horizon.
You're a Bowie-loving student who skipped goth night at the club to tag along with your art school friends for a very special evening. You're a giddy sixteen-year old rocking cat ears, purple Wet 'n Wild eyeliner, a polyester petticoat, and a coffin-shaped backpack. You're an effete theater kid who sewed his own waistcoat for the occasion, but won't dare wear it to school the next day. You're a buff, bearded dude in a Venom shirt who's trying not to look too excited, since your girlfriend supposedly had to drag you here. You're a slightly bemused parent leaning against the back wall of the venue, sipping a warm half-pint, wondering if this isn't all a bit dark for a tween. ("It's called 'Victoriandustrial', mom," you've been told in the car, "and it's not dark, it's art.")
On stage is a pink-haired woman, with red porcelain-doll lips and a heart painted on her cheek. Among a set of antique consoles, twee tchotchkes, teacups and plastic rats, she pounces and twirls in glittery platform boots, tattered striped stockings, and a tightly laced crystal-studded corset that looks like it's splattered in blood. This is ostensibly a concert, but there is no live band. Where one would expect a drum kit or a bass, three bedazzled burlesque vixens act as back-up singers and dancers, with the occasional vaudeville act a fire-twirling number, a fan dance, throwing pastries and spitting tea into the audience. Lots of wholesome girl-on-girl kissing, too. The music on the backing track is a genre-bender of clanging beats and beeps, lofty orchestral strings, and the frantic hammering of a MIDI harpsichord, as the pink-haired frontlady sings of heartache and betrayal and drowning. Think if the Brontë sisters had invented industrial rock.
The audience gasps in excitement when the lady whips out a vamped-out wireless electric violin. With rockstar cool and virtuoso poise, she leans into the instrument, touches the bow to the strings, and tears out a single plaintive, impeccably distorted high note. Then her fingers go wild, and for a few seconds, everything is perfect suspended animation. Uncannily perfect, almost. Just behind you, you hear someone whisper: "Wait, is she miming it?"
#emilie autumn#fandom#hobbydrama#plague rats#i spy some of sflag's content used as citation lol#we're so dead retrospectives are the most interesting thing that come out of the fandom now
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"There's a certain orientalist/imperialist perspective here in which the international fandom, particularly Army, tends to put BTS on a pedestal through a Western gaze in order to other the rest of K-Pop, as being lesser and incapable of reaching the accolades set by Western standards. But that's a discussion for another time and not here."
No please can we have this conversation? I think it's something the average army doesn't understand they're doing.
From what I recall, I wrote that during the talks around fashion and Dior. It's something that I probably touched upon in the past, but I'll expand a bit more here. There's also another reason why this orientalist perspective was fresh in my mind because at that time, I had just watched Cronenberg's M. Butterfly. I'm not going into details, but in the film, the main character, a French diplomat, falls in love and starts a relationship with a Chinese spy who was a man pretending to be a woman. And they have sex, there's talk about a pregnancy while all this time, the diplomat still "believes" it's a woman. Now, that is of course a metaphor on the fact that the East becomes this fantasy place for the West. The spy can easily invoke ancient Chinese customs as reasons for things that the French man believes easily. He's so focused on his fantasy, of having his own tragic affair with an Asian woman, that he rejects the reality.
That's but one example of orientalism, but the process is something that I can see taking place within the international fandom as well, specifically coming from those in the West (what we understand as North America and the Western part of Europe).
Let's take the Grammy situation. It's one of the few instances (and the only one I can recall right now) in which I-Army uses the group's Asianness. They take it and weaponize it because they are the ones on the social media platforms calling out racism and xenophobia. (Not that K-Army are silent about the racism, but I'm talking here about the very loud voices of international fans). While, at the same time, they want that Western validation. It's sort of a love-hate relationship with this award show and if BTS had won one, Army would be more accepting of it because they do see it as the pillar in music industry. It's an American award, but similar to the Oscars, it has its reach worldwide. Army wants the validation from Western institutions because it helps in distancing BTS from their Korean peers. For them, BTS is bigger that K-Pop, they are global, and only become glocal or local again when the fandom thinks the West is rejecting the group (be it award losses, articles and so called shady journalists).
And we have to remember that Army does have the savior complex, which only furthers the orientalist perspective. They want the distancing between BTS and a lot of aspects of the K-Pop industry and entertainment. How does that happen? By still using the underdog narrative (for what is now currently the biggest group of this 21st century), believing that their company is different than other K-Pop companies (they are not), that BTS as men are not like the others (their Korean masculinity gets twisted over and over again) and so on. In order for all these narratives to survive, Army needs to turn BTS in a victim constantly while everyone else in the industry is either some villain (from other groups, other fandoms, people in the entertainment sector) or their own work and success is less worthy than what BTS does. This allows them to write a history in which BTS is taken out of the context of K-Pop, of what came before and how that influenced the group, of how BTS influenced the industry as well (they did pave the way for the Hybe groups at least).
BTS's place is not just on the global scene. Ignoring or using their Asianness only when it's convenient is one of the most harmful things I-Army can do for the actual group they stan. They ignore it when it comes to their customs, their inter-personal relationships, their masculinity, them being part of a specific patriarchal system. All these aspects get to be replaced with the fantasy version of BTS through the Westernized gaze.
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Hi : ) I watched the smfs vid and have two pop culture reference questions: Lil Nas X - Old Town Road (Official Video) ft. Billy Ray Cyrus - is it only because I watched this clip the first time recently, that I see a direct connection and the new fob vid references more a prevalent style? It queered the fob vid even more for me.
And are the golden shoes a Michael Jackson reference or is that also a broader or other reference?
And those clothes are amazing. the tenderness and vulnerability of the movements.
hope you're well! Ingwer
somehow i missed this genius and brilliant parallel! i see the same connection that you go and i want to see some side-by-sides on this website STAT. i think there's something to be said in here about beyonce's latest, race in the united states and optics and conservatism and the queered heart of country music and the true american west story of vaqueros the bloody history of the people who have taken up cowboy iconography as their identity......... there is a lot to say here, someone with an attention span please write an essay
the gold shoes as MJ make sense to me! they also tie to elvis for me, especially with the hip-wriggles slow-mo'd as a requirement of the performance he'd signed up for aspect of smfs video.
TENDERNESS & VULNERABILITY is my new anthem (maybe my permanent anthem?) and i remain obsessed with this video. thank you so much for your laser insights! i hunger for a western fic, and need to listen to a few hours of orville peck now. the long proud legacy of gay & poc cowboys is ringing in my ears.
be well, darling!
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What type of music do you think bkdk listen too I want to project onto Deku and say jazz cause it what I listen to but it probably anime soundtrack that edits all might and bkg I know people like saying rock but I think he listens to rap cause of the art hori did of him beatboxing
Huh! That's a fun question. I think it's probably a variety. But given their background and the sorta-meta conversation happening around how much US influence both boys experience and like in their daily lives, this is what I think they'd trend towards. It's funny you mention jazz, because there's a lot of history behind the Japanese jazz scene and music scene in general in response to westernization.
I've never really thought about it in seriousness, just like a passing joke, so here's what's coming to me off the top of my head.
Deku: modern pop, J-rock, anything in an action movie soundtrack and almost anything that has been touched by westernization into the main stream. Somehow, besides themes commonly used for his favorite heroes or in All Might cartoons and shows, I'm not sure how deeply he might think about music on its own instead of just like a casual consumer saying, "oh! I like this!" but if Heroes put out CDs, I'm sure he has them all because it coincides with his other, more obvious obsession. I can see him listening to a lot of different stuff, though.
Given Izuku's admiration for the "very aggressive" and western-like Katsuki, he probably has a collection of very intense and anti-authoritarian rap and heavy rock mixed within all the more general mainstream stuff, too.
Bakugo: I think Katsuki likely has a surprisingly varied library, too, but with a more noticeable trend towards blatantly US or the UK's bands and more of a penchant for heavier rock, metal, and rap than Izuku does overall. Stuff with the rhythm section very prominent rather than just plain "loud" music only. Whatever it is, it is likely more contemporary stuff with a few surprise tracks thrown in. However, I have a gut instinct to say that, of the two of them, I could see him having a fondness for jazz before Izuku, or at least a more noticeable one. I have nothing with which to justify this except a gut feeling.
And, again, to mirror what I said about Izuku's taste probably dipping into edgier territory as a flip to the "expected standard", I think Katsuki probably has the cultural equivalent of, like, what I like to call "sad girl music" - some Taylor Swift, Mitski (actually, yeah, for post DVK2-Katsuki, there's probably a lot of Mitski in there if he ever discovered it considering the topics of many of her songs), and stuff like that - on his playlists.
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K-POP ?
It's been a while, but here I am. I was under a lot of stress as I was getting a new job. I started this week and though i haven't done much besides training. I'm excited about the possibility. I have been writing and reading and existing. My mind seems clearer not without its usual hurricane of thoughts but just enough for me to see out from where I stand in its eye.
Enough for the constant ache to be dulled. Kinda like what KPOP does to me.
Weird transition but okay. I'll talk about KPOP.
As I write this I'm listening to BTS and Lee Know from StrayKids is commenting on bubble. So my reason for getting into KPOP BTS and my reason for spiraling down its rabbit hole SKZ. I thought it was a small hyper fixation as most things are for me. But a year and a half later here we are multi stan and all.
I joined this world just as BTS was announcing its group hiatus. Which sucked but I think I was lucky also. I get to experience them all for the grammys together and I get to learn them though their own individual music and schedules. I get to see them each for who they are as artists outside of BTS global phenomenon. I get to go back and see their struggles and growth knowing how it will all turn out.
I do however miss those who have enlisted and i'll miss those who still have to enlist. But thanks to BTS I have 5 individual artists I love and soon that will be 7 once JK and V release their solos.
Thanks to them opening the door I found SKZ, which includes 8 chaotic guys whose music, energy and personalities also make me feel.
When your mind is a mess to be pulled out of that is as close to euphoric as it gets.
Yes there are other groups I enjoy. But these particular two make me feel seen, heard and understood. Yes they speak a language I'm struggling to learn but that's the thing they have opened me up to a culture and side of the world i never would have otherwise thought of learning about. Food, culture, language, customs and history are only a few of the things I've allowed myself to start learning. I want to understand them fully.
The effort it takes is worth it. When you learn the meaning behind lyrics or remarks they make. Whether it's Love Yourself or Youtiful, I am grateful for the feelings behind these songs. I am grateful that I can know this world of BTS and SKZ and get immersed in so much more than their beauty. I mean yeah it's great to look at them, collect photo cards, albums or place posters on my wall. But when I look at those things I remember their words of kindness.
I remember JK talking about how he missed us. Or Bang Chan seeing us weekly for Channies room. Things they don't have to do. Eat Jin or Asmr with Felix. Jimin and his little building lives or I.N drinking way too many energy drinks. They chose us as much as we chose them. Taehyung and Lee Know taking time to answer comments on their respective platforms. Namjoon's song recommendations on IG or Yoongi telling us the meanings of his songs regardless of how painful it must be for him to relive it. Hyunjin and Jhope dancing across my screen. Or Changbins laughter. Seungmins sacrasm and jokes and Hans' vulnerability.
These mens gentle masculinity is what has led most of us to feel closer to them then other western artists.
I love western music, from pop to rock, classic, jazz and indie but there is also rap and hip hop R & B on my playlist. As a latina i listen to bachata and ballads, reggaeton or merengue and salsa. My playlist has at least 11 languages on it.
Can you tell I love music?
As a writer, feeling and hearing an emotion can fill me with it. I dont have to know the language, take one of my favorite songs by BTS' Min Yoongi or in this case his alias Agust D, The Last.
The first time i heard it i cried, no lyrical reference not in either language i know. Just me feeling exhausted from the pain inside myself. Unable to cry at that point. Maybe it was the angsty pain in his voice but I knew I felt it too. I cried. Silent tears covering my cheeks. I was not alone. When I looked up the lyrics I sobbed again, because my soul understood before my mind could. He himself says music doesn't have a language.
When I had the opportunity to see him in concert I jumped. Because he is my bias after all. I cried twice, once during Amygdala, because I knew exactly what he meant. Our traumas looked different but their effects were the same. I cried again during Snooze as he repeated over and over and over how "everything was going to be okay". As he reminded me to lean on him to take a break, and then when i'm ready pursue my dream once again. It felt good to hear it in person. But I didn't cry during The Last like I thought I would. Instead I smiled because that was a song that connected him and I and millions of people around the world.
I wasn't an emotional mess the entire time. Instead I screamed in anger during Burn It, a song that gave way to that kind of behavior as well as a lot of his others. But hearing him pause to say hey “from now on i'll write with less anger”. Reminded me of my own writing journey. Of how I too have written angry and dark and pained. But like him I too have begun to step out of that. When im asked why Min Yoongi, its because he spoke to a part of me i thought would never heal and he was there when when it started to. Im not saying he saved me but it really fucking helped to hear someone, like him say "yeah same".
It wasn't just him, my SKZ bias Bang Chan. Might not have done one of his weekly check in in a while but he is also much like me. He fights for those he loves endlessly, forgetting himself in the process. Working until he pushes too far. Wanting to be better, do better, be the best and continually climb that perfectionist ladder.
I've heard him give advice about living and taking care of yourself. I've also heard him say he values respect amongst all things. He has many times spoken to his Stays about leaving the haters alone. He almost said he liked people who didnt give a fuck. But stopped himself saying people who don't care instead. He has talked about periods and sex education calling it explicit education. A Stay asked “what will i do without you?” his response they should live, “live life to the fullest.” He even says that no matter who you are, what you want to be, he will be there for you. As a leader he is both beyond honest and careful, also hopeful that overly enthusiastic Stays don't take things out of context or too far. He trusts his fandom.
So when i say i listen to kpop. This is it. I watch endless content from many groups that catch my attention. Often I laugh until my stomach hurts and oftentimes I cry. I Read books they recommend, learn a language and culture and customs and history. So yes kpop sounds toxic or intense but to me it's safe in a world that often does not provide that.
A world where my own mind is my biggest enemy. This is where I can both find myself while I lose myself. Disconnect from my own life and become immersed in another one. So ill keep reading subtitles and translations while i learn korean. But i'll also learn about their history and customs.
Bowing, instead of the western greeting of hugs or Spanish cheek kisses I grew up with, is probably my favorite. I've never been a touching random strangers person. But in Dominican Republic that's what you do. I also love art now too. That's thanks to RM, the leader of BTS, who is an art collector and Hyunjin of SKZ who paints masterpieces to destress. I eat plenty of Korean food and visit HMart too much. But i've never been a picky eater. I'll try anything twice.
So yeah this was all because of K-POP but I'm lucky I found them when I did because things have only gotten better since.
#mapofmysoul#me#mental health#rant#truth#jungkook#suga#stray kids#bts#kpop#bang chan#skz#bangtan#stay#army#I.N#Jin#rm#namjoon#jhope#jimin#taehyung#v#Lee know#changbin#jeongin#han#felix#seungmin#svt
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A Rant on BTS and Black Women Representation (Repost)
Anonymous: BPP, Did you see how BTS flew in Black and POC women of all sizes and backup dancers and singers for their concerts? I was so pleased to see that commitment to to staying as true to the Old Motown sound and feel.
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Oh Anon,
You have no idea. See, this is why I chuckle when I see k-pop stans or commentators (who are almost always white and/or Western) going on and on about ‘discourse’ surrounding BTS, women, and race.
Let’s hear it directly (again) from the Black woman’s mouth (timestamp: 4:45):
youtube
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“this isn’t the first time they did this”
“even before COVID”
I have nothing against people who take to critiquing art as their primary personality online. Do you, and honestly, k-pop is the perfect place for that kind of hobby because you’ll never run out of things to be critical about. Something that kinda irks me though is that in the last few years, I've noticed an uptick in seeing a certain type of fan (usually a fan of another k-pop group or a multi) that’s all about being hyper-critical of one group (in this case BTS) without actually doing the work to know what the group’s history is: the bad AND the good. Because a lot of what counts for discourse is basically manti talking points recycled every 2 years by people who think they’ve just discovered something new, scandalous or damning about BTS or the fandom, but they’re at least a couple of years late. I say this because back when I was actively engaging in 'discourse’, I received an ask so covered in insults (every two lines this person thought I needed to be reminded to fuck myself), it was only at the end I realized this person was asking (demanding?) my opinion on BTS and diverse representation in their staff, music, and performances.
Lol.
I could’ve answered pointing out BTS's most successful tour before COVID which was the Love Yourself series, and which featured women of all sizes and all races working with BTS; or about how a BIPOC woman was the lead choreographer for BTS's title tracks, or, you know, things anybody who is a fan of BTS or ARMY would know.
But of course I just deleted that ask lmao.
It’s not that I think BTS is above criticism. ARMY is one of their biggest critics and the proof is in the last eight years - all that 'growth’ did not happen out of thin air. But it’s incredibly disingenuous to repeat the same talking points re: BTS and women when every. single. woman. who has worked with BTS has described their conduct, professionalism, cultural awareness, and overall behavior. I’ve lost count at this point how many times this has happened, and this is even with ignoring that a sizable chunk of the fanbase are Black women who of course can think for themselves. (Same goes for Korean women btw). Bibi and Leslie (the Black French women in that video) have been chronicling their stay in Korea since 2018 and they’re candid about their experiences there. They do not sugarcoat shit. Just by the way.
Also, can we just appreciate how beautiful they all look?
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Also just pointing out she mentions at some point in the clip that she’s not certain if the initial casting decisions were made by HYBE or someone else, but that HYBE did select the final line up of singers/dancers and that the company has done this before.
And because this always comes up whenever I mention BTS and race, please refer to my post on that subject here.
Originally posted: March 17th, 2022 8:53am
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K-pop Discography Deep Dives: SHINHWA (Part ONE)
(Content Warning: this contains discussion of racism, anti-blackness, and the n-word)
SHINHWA was formed in 1998 and is currently the longest running k-pop group in history, breaking the so-called 7-year curse three (and a half) times over. They have six members: Eric, Minwoo, Dongwan, Hyesung, Junjin, and Andy, who have been together since the beginning, and are one of the most formative groups of k-pop’s 1st generation.
Here are my credentials: uh…none? I can name about three SHINHWA songs off of the top of my head, which is slightly embarrassing. I know of course about their incredible legacy, but similarly to BTS, I’ve been a k-pop fan for half a decade now so I figured it’s time to get to know such an important group better.
Haegyeolsa (in English, “Resolver”) is the first single from the first album, which follows the more Western idea of several singles per release rather than the one or two more common in K-pop now. It’s a statement right out of the gate, combining the sound of rumbling thunder, strings, a rock guitar, a piano, and a very 1st / 2nd gen sound. I’m not the biggest rap person, truth be told, but even I can admit that there’s some great flow here, and I ended up nodding along. It’s more on the R & B side than I expected given SHINHWA’s image, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it. It’s very 1998, of course, but in a warmly nostalgic way (she says as though she was a teenager in 1998).
Sidenote: I have so many questions about the music video. What in the name of all that is dark and unholy are those sparkly gold…Juicy Couture-esque tracksuits? Why are they on a swinging pendulum? Why’s it in slow motion? What is this terrible lighting? Why are there famous photos in black and white? I can’t decide if this is horrible or the best thing I’ve ever seen. Maybe it’s both? Maybe I’ll make up my mind by the end of this review.
Eusha Eusha! is a little more what I was expecting in terms of the breakneck-speed tempo, but with its bright synths and high voices, it has an overall happy vibe that surprised me. I enjoyed this one more than Haegyeolsa, definitely, and was surprised by how k-poppy it felt, especially in terms of structure. I can see why many people consider this album the birth of what’s now classified under 1st gen. It’s a bit of an odd little track, with the reggae (?) influences, vocalizing, and beat drops, but it’s very charming. The MV also made me laugh, but is much more what I expect from k-pop, and is quite cutesy with terrible quality (and way too many male gaze-y shots of the women in bathing suits). But it’s also a lot of fun.
Sharing Forever also feels like k-pop in its very early form, albeit more on the R & B ballad side, and is a little forgettable, but still nice. I think that it’s probably partly my own assumption from the image that “powerful” boy groups now tend to have, but as mentioned, I was very surprised (pleasantly, mostly) by how gentle and vulnerable their singles so far have been and how much English is there too.
From the first album, Haegyeolsa / Resolver, I enjoyed the quirky, surf-rock beat of Rock & Roll Summer, the vocalizing in the background of Kiga Jalatsseoyo, the sample and catchy beat of Bisanggu, and the jazzy R & B of Thanks. Also, special shout-out to the incredibly dramatic spoken English in the ballad Neul Naega Weonhaneun Geoseun, because I got a little bit of a chuckle out of that, truth be told. It’s nice to know that not everything in k-pop has changed.
So, I wanted to put in a warning right here: Noonmool has the n-word in it, spoken at the very beginning, and I nearly choked on my water because it felt like it punched me in the face out of nowhere. I try not to include any discussion of controversy with songs because often it’s either contrived or not relevant to the song itself (as infuriating as it is that an idol is wearing box braids in a video again, that’s normally the fault of the stylist or company and usually doesn’t translate to the music).
But, I feel like it’d be a disservice to every black k-pop fan if I praised the song without even mentioning it. What angers me the most about it being here is not just that it’s racist (which, I sincerely hope I don’t need to say that it is) but that it’s so unnecessarily so, in a language that most of the song isn’t even in. It just feels like effort was taken to make it that way, which is even worse.
Yo! is a very angry song right out of the gate, much angrier than most k-pop gets these days (it starts with a “we return to the battle ground; we are SHINHWA”, for starters), and channels the very specific vein of rage that only people under 25 really have. After saying that, it seems that SHINHWA is incredibly determined to surprise me, because this song is all about living your life for yourself and having confidence, albeit not without a fair share of angst because this was 1999.
And just when I was ready to say that this song is great…I realized that it also includes the n-word, this time in the damn chorus. (I didn’t realize before because there’s a word in Korean, “naega”, that means “I” and sounds very similar.) Come on, guys. What makes this even sadder is that I genuinely do love this song; it’s incredibly catchy and it’s got a great message, that it completely undermines by using one of the worst racial slurs four times.
Look, I know that this was a quarter-century ago. I know that they were teenagers in Korea and I doubt that they knew the incredibly painful history of the word. I’m not saying that they’re horrible people. But that doesn’t mean we should shrug our shoulders and give them a pass. I’m glad to hear that they censor it in live performances now (after the highly publicized cover by RM, i believe, correct me if I’m wrong), but it shouldn’t have been there in the first place. Let’s hope that this is the last paragraph I have to write about this.
T.O.P. (an acronym for Twinkling of Paradise) starts with a gentle string section before going into the kind of slow R & B hip-hop that I’d expected. It seems fairly standard by the era, but it was a nice track, all in all. I enjoyed its later moments more than its earlier ones, definitely, since the instrumentation gets more fun and unique, and…spacey, maybe?
Remember how I said that I hoped I didn’t have to mention the n-word again? I spoke too soon, because here we are again, and I’m not going to repeat myself because if I do then I might throw something, but suffice to say that I’m seeing red and feeling sick right now, and I’m not even black. I can’t even imagine how someone who is would feel, because this is horrifying. I’d love to hear your thoughts if you are, though.
From the second album, T.O.P., I enjoyed the mix between the breathy hip-hop and surprisingly harsh-rock yells in the pre-choruses of Cycle, the rushing intro of Breaking the Silence, the smooth vocalizing in Desire, the interpolation of brass in To.G, and especially the swirling electro of Grief. And again, the incredibly dramatic English intro in Nothing made me laugh, so kudos.
Only One is most similar to T.O.P. from the songs so far; it’s incredibly 90’s, reliant on the hip-hop and R & B common for the time, and thus isn’t the most engaging track without others. However, its harmonizing is great and makes for a much better song, especially in its last minute and final chorus (and made me appreciate their voices much more).
All Your Dreams’ opening feels tailor-made to a dance floor with gentle strings and a soft piano, then decides to just go for it with a guitar riff out of nowhere. I confess I liked this one more from the start; its driving beat, catchiness, and more engaging vocals won me over even before the first chorus. I even enjoyed the rapping, and found myself nodding my head. SHINHWA’s voices are very suited to this kind of rock style. First Love, unsurprisingly, is very classic in the realm of ballads; “this one’s for you” is in the spoken word intro. It’s very pretty, but ultimately forgettable. And it definitely doesn’t need a rap.
From the album, Only One, I enjoyed the rock guitar riffs mixed with the interesting strings from the Intro and I Wanna Be, the excellent driving beat of Jam #1, the background vocalizing of Never Come To Me, the build-up in Change, and the beat in Vortex (which really reminded me of I Need U by BTS, or, I suppose, that reminds me of this).
And, I sincerely wish that I didn’t have to mention this yet again, but the song Soul again mentions the n-word, several times, something that’s particularly egregious as it’s a love song and also includes the phrase “this goes out to my homeboys and brothers up there” in an all-English verse that was clearly inspired by American rap / hip-hop and black culture, without the incredibly important centuries-long context that that culture was born in, something that’s also incredibly disrespectful to all of the artists that they’re “taking inspiration” from.
Imagine if an African-American person used specific Korean words from the Japanese Occupation period that have a long history as slurs against Korean people. They would be justifiably furious. We’re now in the year 2000, by the way, three years and four albums into their careers, and this is the fifth song that’s featured the n-word, although due to the word similarity I’ve mentioned earlier, there could be more that I’ve missed.
Hey, Come On! is much more in the vein of you-can-do-it pop, and has a very light, twinkling background synth in the lead, with a driving beat and more spacey electro-pop. It’s not one of my favorites, but I’m not mad at it; the music video is quite weird, but it’s fun, and it gave me some good laughs. The “Hey, come on! Don’t give up!” is honestly very sweet.
Wild Eyes gives off action movie vibes from its very first moments, and draws on some vintage 60’s inspiration and marries it with 80’s synths for what’s a pretty solid combination with their strong voices. There’s some very interesting word choices here, (like “I’ve been rollin’ in the streets”; have you, Junjin? Have you, really? You grew up in Seoul, not South Side Chicago, calm down) and I’m not sure if it’s there because of hip-hop inspiration or what, but it’s…noticeable, especially with a very weird science fiction MV.
I don’t really understand why they had to be shirtless for this, but whatever. Tragically for them (and their stylists), I happen to be aro ace and thus just end up annoyed. I do not, in fact, want a man like a winner, thanks. It is a really catchy song, though, when I think of it like War Of Hormone by BTS: a little bit ridiculous, but all in good fun.
From the album, Hey, Come On!, From the album, Hey, Come On!, I enjoyed the classical sample in Reminiscence, the slight doo-wop and their especially nice voices in Falling In Love, the excellent driving background beat and oddly…bubbly? instrumentals in Never Can Rewind, the synths in Trippin’, and the soothing “everytime, every night” from Sure I Know. I swear though, if they include “baby girl” in one more song, I will steal a Tardis and travel back to 2002 out of pure cringe.
Perfect Man is one of the few songs that I already knew of SHINHWA, since it’s very widely covered and pretty popular still in the world of k-pop. It’s considered a classic, and for good reason: it’s catchy, it’s angsty, it blends their signature hip-hop, 90’s / 2000’s pop, synths, and rock influences together, and it’s also a love song, meaning it was basically destined to become a hit. This is, genuinely, a great song, and I really enjoyed it. I Pray 4 U is a pretty usual ballad for the time, and while it’s pretty, it also, like First Love, doesn’t leave much of an impression.
From the album, Perfect Man, I enjoyed the easy-going flow of Shout, the twinkling background and harmonizing in Free, the catchy beat of Fly High, and . the piano in Reason. And just when I thought that we were doing well…here comes the n-word again, this time in the very beginning of the song Last Zone. I’ve said all I’ll say, so let’s leave this here.
And here’s where we’ll leave off for part one! It’s…definitely a mixed bag so far, that’s for certain, but I’ll leave my final thoughts until the end. I have a feeling (call it intuition) that this is going to end up being a three parter, so we'll have to see.
#k-pop#review#k-pop deep dive#k pop boy groups#shinhwa#Eric#minwoo#dongwan#kim dongwan#hyesung#junjin#andy#legend#K-pop 1st Gen#resolver#eusha eusha#yo#t.o.p.#only one#hey come on#perfect man#deep sorrow#tw: racism#tw: anti-blackness#Spotify
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Haleth || 22 || tries to handle the tech side of things but Asra is better at it. I do the organising and handling of the admin.
BA || LLB || Undergrad. Send help
If you wanna partake in the shenanigans you can find me @rangerofthesouth
Areas of Interest:
- Right now, a severe obsession with Greek Mythology because of the PJO series and I'm also reading the Iliad after reading Song of Achilles (no, i cannot under any circumstances be normal about him and Patroclus.)
- Classic literature and poetry : I wanna read as many classics as I can because why not and also school didn't allow me to read so I'm making up for lost time. (I'm still trying to finish Pride and Prejudice, but my adhd keeps saying noooo)
- Film : I watch a lot of films, movies and series, sometimes I watch mainstream stuff. Not just to space out, but because i enjoy complex storylines and excellent directing.
(currently watching Gossip Girl and... I have my reservations but..it's actually pretty interesting). I'm a fan of period dramas, fantasy and anything that has to do with magic, sci-fi and psychological thrillers.
- The Old Guard and books by Neil Gaiman : recently graphic novels have become something I'm completely obsessed with... I can't explain how much i love graphic novels and comics right now!!!! Just *high pitched scream*
- Also non-western literature:
I'm a firm believer in knowing where you came from in order to know where you're going.
gimme poetry about the indentured Indians, gimme stories about the poc who have had to fight to be seen, gimme gimme oral tales from ethic tribes, let me see the diaspora of your people around the globe
i wanna hear about everyone's history. Where you came from, why they chose to step onto the ship, whether they had a choice. Tell me about your aunty's recipe for a certain dish, i bet you there's a story behind it.
- I'm really into fashion rn after spending my entire adolescence wearing the same tshirt and jeans. will i be normal about it? Absolutely not.
- queer theory and history and law even if i don't wanna admit that out loud. But wow, is the law actually interesting...
What else am i interested in??
- Food. Especially Asian foods and the absolute wonderful variety every culture has to offer. So far I've had a good intro to Korean foods such as gimpap and baobuns, I've tried Chinese oudon noodles which i would happily die for oh and i tried ramen too.. But i needa know more so please gimmmmme gimme your favourite Asian dishes, especially if they're spicy.
- Music : i play the guitar and piano and cannot be normal about jazz, blues or classics. Yes, Asra is right, Pop music is my area of expertise until you ask me about relevant songs. ( BUT classical music is Asra's area of utter and complete expertise. Seriously any questions on classical music and composition send it to Asra)
-Art: i freaking love art ( Van Gogh my love, Fauvism my detested, animation because of Abu (a friend not the monkey from Aladdin.) my painting skills are something to be worked on but i can draw!
- I'm very normal about Cate Blanchett in any of her films.
- i enjoy reading and listening to explanations on different beliefs, cultures and psychology, i really like understanding how the world works.
-physics even though I failed math and never did physics but wooow do i love applying it to Formula One.
- Oh yeah, formula one 🏎️
- i love animals, i will befriend your pets.
-Travel : honestly i wanna see every inch of the world and eat alllll kinds of foods and leave a footprint in a German forest. The ocean beckons, the sky will carry me gently, the mountains sing for me to join them.
My areas of Interest will change as i grow and my brain decides what my next hyperfixation will be. There's a good chance imma inflict it upon everyone here😗
beautiful paragraph dividers are the works of @saradika
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<h1>The Complete Guide to Electric Guitars and How They Evolved Through History</h1>
The electric guitar is one of the most critical and influential instruments in music history. It has been around for over 100 years and has evolved a lot.
Electric guitars have become a staple in many genres of music and are used by many musicians to create some of their best songs.
This article will explore the complete guide to electric guitars and how they evolved through history.
What Is an Electric Guitar and Why Are You Here?
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses one or more electric pickups to convert the vibration of its strings into an electrical signal. The signal can then be electronically amplified.
The electric guitar was developed in the 1930s as an instrument that could compete with the popularity of the significant band era and swing music.
Nowadays, electric guitars are used in many genres of music and have become popular in pop and rock music, jazz fusion, heavy metal, blues, country and western music, gospel music, reggae, classical music, and even in orchestras.
How Electric Guitars Evolved Throughout Time
Electric guitars have evolved a lot since the first electric guitar was created in 1931. One of the most critical changes that electric guitars have undergone is the invention of the solid-body electric guitar.
This blog post will explore how electric guitars evolved and led to their most recent evolution.
Everything You Need to Know About Electric Guitars
Electric guitars are a guitar that uses electromagnetic pickups to convert the strings' vibrations into an electric signal. They are typically much more expensive than acoustic guitars.
An electric guitar is a type of guitar that uses electromagnetic pickups to convert the strings' vibrations into an electric signal. They are typically much more expensive than acoustic guitars, but they offer a range of benefits that make them worth the investment for many musicians.
The most popular reason people buy an electric guitar is that they want to plug it in and amplify their sound, making it possible to play for larger audiences or in louder settings where an acoustic guitar would not be appropriate or loud enough.
Some people also like having access to effects pedals and other equipment like distortion,
Why Electric Guitars Matter to Us?
An electric guitar is an instrument that uses pickups to convert the strings' vibration into an electrical current. The current is then amplified with an amplifier and a speaker, making a sound loud enough to hear.
The electric guitar was invented in 1931 by George Beauchamp, who co-founded the company National String Instrument Corporation. It was not until 1948 that Leo Fender developed a prototype of the Stratocaster, which became one of the most popular guitars in history.
The electric guitar has made significant contributions to music history and culture. It has been used in many genres of music, including rock, blues, jazz, and country. Electric guitars have also been used in pop music since their introduction to popular culture and are now considered essential instruments for any band.
How to Pick the Best Electric Guitar for Your Needs
Choosing an electric guitar can be a daunting task. There are so many different brands and models to choose from. It can be hard to narrow down your choices. This guide will give you some tips on making the right choice for you.
There are two main types of electric guitars: solid-body and hollow-body. Solid-bodies are generally more durable, but they don't have the same resonance as a hollow-body guitar when played acoustically. Hollow-bodies produce a warmer sound because they have less dampening material than solid bodies, which means that the strings will vibrate more freely and produce more sustain.
Solid bodies are usually made from wood or metal, while hollow bodies are made from wood with a metal frame inside for reinforcement.
Electric Guitar Buying Guide For Beginners
Buying an electric guitar for the first time can be a daunting experience. There are mini submarine to consider and many brands and models to choose from.
In this guide, you will learn about the different types of guitars, how to select the best model for your needs, what features to look for in an electric guitar, and how to find a great deal on your next electric guitar purchase.
Electric Guitar Amp Buying Guide
This guide will cover the basics of electric guitar amps and their different types. We will also talk about the advantages and disadvantages of these amps so that you can make an informed decision when buying one.
The electric guitar amp is a device used to amplify the sound of an electric guitar. Musicians typically use it in live performances or in recording studios to make their instruments louder so they can be heard over drums, keyboards, and other instruments.
Before buying an amp for your electric guitar, consider a few things. These include:
- The size of the amp (or whether it's portable)
- The power output - Whether you need distortion or not
Best Electric Guitars in the Market
The electric guitars is one of the most popular and iconic instruments in the world. Musicians of all genres have created some of the most memorable songs. The electric guitar as we know it today was pioneered by George Beauchamp, who patented his design for an electric guitar on June 27, 1937.
Various guitars to choose from, each suited for a particular style or genre. For example, hollow-body guitars are known for their warm and rich tone, perfect for jazz music. On the other hand, solid-body guitars are better suited for rock music due to their louder sound and more prominent low-end frequencies.
Electric guitars are a very popular instrument in the music industry. They are used by musicians of all genres and styles. Electric guitars have a lot of advantages, but they also have some disadvantages that people tend to overlook.
In this article, we will be discussing the top 8 best electric guitars in the market. We will talk about what makes them so great and why you should consider buying one of these instruments for your next purchase.
1- Fender American Professional Stratocaster:
The Fender American Professional Stratocaster is one of the most popular electric guitar models on the market today. It has a maple neck, an elegant rosewood fingerboard, and 22 frets that provide beginners and experienced players with easy fret access. The neck is relatively thin, which makes it easier to
The Best Electric Guitar Brands in the World
The electric guitar has been around for over a century, and it is one of the most popular instruments in the world. It is used in various genres, including rock, metal, jazz, blues, etc.
There are many brands of electric guitars on the market today. Some are better than others. This article will explore some of the best brands available today and what they offer to musicians looking for a new instrument.
It is often hard to know which one is the best with many guitar brands globally. This article will explore some of the most popular guitar brands and determine what makes them so good.
Reviews of the Best Electric Guitars to Consider Buying
When it comes to the best electric guitars, there are many different types of guitars to choose from. This can be a daunting task for someone new to the guitar world. The good news is that there are many reviews of the best electric guitars out there. And they can help you find a guitar that will work well with your needs and budget.
The following reviews have been written by people who have extensive experience playing and reviewing guitars. They have played and reviewed these six electric guitars below and found them worthy of consideration for purchase:
Guitar Brands:
Fender company is one of the most iconic guitar makers globally, with a history of 1946. Since then, Fender has been at the heart of some of the most important moments in music, and its electric guitars have become some of the most recognizable in popular music.
Epiphone has been a premier guitar manufacturer and distributor for over 100 years. Their wide selection of guitars and basses are available in all shapes, sizes, colors, and styles.
Ibanez is one of the most popular guitar brands in the world, with a wide range of guitars for every player.
Gibson are one of the most iconic brands in the world, and they are a company that has been around for over 100 years. You may not realize it, but Gibson is responsible for many innovations that have impacted music. Gibson is also responsible for some of rock-n-roll's most legendary guitars.
Yamaha has been manufacturing quality instruments for over 100 years, and the electric guitar is no exception. The RX series offers a wide range of models at an affordable price. From the beginner's level Yamaha RY22 to the pro musician's favorite, the Yamaha RG8, they all offer high-quality sound and playability.
Fender Standard Telecaster Thinline, Fender American Special Stratocaster, Gibson Les Paul Studio, Yamaha Pacifica 112V Electric Guitar, Ibanez RG421 Electric Guitar, Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plus Top Pro
The electric guitars is an instrument that has been around for a long time. It was invented in the early 1930s, and since then it has become one of the most popular instruments in the world.
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Things You’ll Like In Ireland West Coast
When we think of Ireland, the first thing that pops into our heads is Dublin. Aside from Dublin, the capital city, there are lots of places to visit and do on Ireland's West Coast. You should grab the opportunity to explore the Ireland West Coast.
You’ll be stunned by the incredible scenery and also how warm the locals were. You can walk through vibrant and vibrant towns and have some of the best food you can ever experience.
It’s possible to say that in only a few days, Ireland can change from being a distant place in your mind to becoming one of your favorite places to visit. After taking in the twisting roads through the Wild Atlantic Way, here are four reasons that Ireland’s west coast is worth a visit:
Off-the-beaten-path routes
One thing you’ll like about the west coast of Ireland is the quiet and almost completely empty area in some regions. Apart from a few friendly locals, you’ll frequently feel as if your small group has the entire area all to its own.
You can go through the Beara Peninsula, offering truly amazing views of the Atlantic Ocean with lush greenery that encircles the hills. You can walk through the peaceful and vibrant town of Allihies, which will make you think of a scene in an old Hollywood film. It is beautiful!
Who knows, maybe your favorite hidden gem will be during your stay in the remote town of Baltimore and particularly admiring the sun setting from the rock cliffs of The Baltimore Beacon. From the town, it is a short walk to the summit of the hill, where you can stand at the edge of the earth when the sun is setting across the Atlantic.
While exploring the western part of Cork County, you can visit the Drombeg stone circle as well as Ardgroom stone circles, both with a history dating back thousands of years and providing a glimpse of the mysteries of Ireland’s long-standing past.
Delicious Food
If you’re a foodie, the most enjoyable thing you can discover about Ireland that how tasty the various meals you can get in all of the towns.
Many of us think that Ireland is not the destination for foodies.
You’ll be surprised that you will be able to enjoy the variety of delicious meals that range from fresh seafood to grass-fed beef, freshly baked desserts, and even good alternatives for casual pub food.
Another stop you can enjoy is Dzogchen Beara, where you can have hot chocolate, coffee, and other refreshments, all while admiring the stunning panoramas of the Beara peninsula’s coastline with the Beara peninsula in the background.
Additionally, while in Dingle, you can visit Dingle Distillery. Dingle Distillery to see how gin is created by hand from beginning to end.
Authentic Irish Culture
Ireland can redefine the concept of “authentic experience” that tourists usually do. In certain towns, you’ll truly feel like you are in the place to enjoy the day-to-day things that a native would do, be able to enjoy, and everyone will welcome you when you walk around.
Yew tree is located in Muckross Abbey’s central courtyard. Muckross Abbey central courtyard.
You can also experience the nightlife and be able to go out and about, and experience Live Trad live music in the Tig Bhric West Kerry Brewery, located in the middle of nowhere, on the edge of the Dingle peninsula.
Daltons within Kinsale, along with Crowley’s at Kenmare, are both authentic pubs with regular live music, so if you’re there, be sure to stop by for a pint and take in these beautiful towns just like the locals.
Inspiring Nature
If you’re a lover of greenery and nature, Ireland will blow you out of the water. The country is home to some of the most beautiful scenery you’ll ever witness.
If you’re looking to take a walk, or a gentle walking trail, or sit on a bench and take in the stunning views and the sound of nature, You can enjoy all of this in many spots beginning with the waterfalls and trails in Killarney National Park.
To experience a more intimate setting with fewer tourists, go to Gleninchaquin Park, which is a private, family-owned park that has stunning waterfalls that greet visitors as soon as you enter.
While strolling every now and then, the park will make you feel a more peaceful state and inspired the desire to have a peaceful walk on one of the trails that led me to the ideal rock to rest on and enjoy the stunning landscape.
A waterfall cascaded down the black rock, creating small streams that cut through the green electric fields, with a few sheep enjoying their grazing in the fields. It is the perfect moment to recharge and relax.
If you’re a fan of the sounds and sights of the ocean, you can enjoy a visit to Silver Strand beach, located on Sherkin Island, and Clogher Head beach, located on the Dingle Peninsula. It is not the perfect beach getaway. However, it is extremely peaceful and tranquil to listen to as the waves from the Atlantic smash against the rocks.
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the mafia trilogy media headcanons
because i care too much about media history. i talked awhile ago about what the radio stations play during the time frames of each others’ games, and what the cultures and music scenes are like in the various cities, so i’ll address that further here.
radio
EDLT (delta) is one of empire bay's youngest stations, founded in the mid 1930s. in the early days they mostly play jazz and blues (cab calloway, louis jordan, robert johnson, etc), with occasional gospel music as well, especially on sundays. in the 60s-70s they play more electric blues, harder rock, and sometimes funk; think albert king, jimi hendrix, freddie king, but they still include artists like bo diddley, howlin’ wolf, chuck berry, little richard, and muddy waters (including the psychedelic blues albums released by the aforementioned).
ECLA (empire classic) originally played classical music and opera (which is what it played in the beta of mafia 2) up through the mid 1930s before eventually shifting toward big band and swing (carlo falcone, personally, wasn't pleased with the change). they were originally called empire classical before rebranding. in the 60s they still play much tamer music, mostly crooners, vocal harmony, some doo wop. let it never be said that a rock and roll song has played on empire classic (well, it did once...and the dj was fired).
ECNR (empire central) has played swing as long as swing has been around. ricky fox continues hosting into the 1960s, playing a mix of pop and (what would become) classic rock. he still calls the audience kids, and still makes funny comments about technology.
WBYU 620 in new bordeaux plays mostly country and western in the 1930s and 40s, before finally adding in some pop and rock during the late 50s. johnny cash remains a constant staple from early in his career, and they play gospel on sunday mornings. remy's show starts in 1959 (i love the idea that he never makes it to ten years. fuck you remy). they’re also pretty strict about their programming and the image they present, though things do slip through (eve of destruction, anyone?)
WNBX 790 has gone through a number of changes before settling firmly into a rock station in the late '50s–think link wray, duane eddy, etc. it hosts a weekly surf rock special for a time in the early '60s.
WCVE 1150 starts off in the ‘20s as a mix of jazz and blues, incorporating r&b and some earlier rock and roll (and later soul) as it develops throughout the ‘40s and ‘50s. the station also tends to play oldies throughout its existence.
WLH 570 in lost heaven still mostly plays jazz and big band throughout the ‘40s, though they start to incorporate some blues and r&b moving into the ‘50s, and a little later rock. by the ‘60s it’s comfortably settled into a mix of rock, blues, soul, and some pop. i assume it’s a public station, so they try to keep variety in their programming, and also host a lot of public service programming including news, sports broadcasting, and other talk radio.
WBDS, which is owned by berenger’s department store, still keeps it up with the ads throughout its tenure and remains a mostly swing and ragtime station into the '40s. plays a shit ton of patriotic music during wwii so they’ll look good. moves towards pop in the ‘50s but does add some lighter rock (think eddie cochran and buddy holly). they’re solidly a pop station throughout the ‘60s and beyond, and honestly it’s basically just muzak (it’s a department store, after all) but surprisingly doesn’t get sold. most people in lost heaven regard them as a quaint little oddity of the city.
city media culture
empire bay has one of the earliest broadcast tv stations in the us (as evidenced by vito having a tv in 1951–early tv could only be broadcast within a certain range of the studio, where it was shot live, so at first this meant basically only new york and chicago (and later LA) bc they were the cities with stations). their variety program trago star theatre (a name i ripped straight from the real life texaco star theatre, milton berle's variety show) is a beloved feature of empire bay's media landscape.
lost heaven develops a thriving blues scene in the ‘40s which really blossoms in the mid '50s. similar to chicago blues, it's based on electric guitar, but relies more on horns than harmonica (inspired by the mafia 1 opening theme).
new bordeaux also has a thriving blues scene. it's known for commonly featuring a combination of electric and acoustic guitar (inspired by the mafia 3 score), but it usually has quite a smooth sound.
empire bay blues is usually jazzier, featuring heavy piano use and sometimes a mix of sax and guitar, as well as woodwinds. doo-wop style vocal harmony is common. not as well known as the LH and NB blues styles.
there's a bad movie made about tommy angelo's life, trial, and death made in the late '70s. sorry for that one.
an aspiring blues musician who once met lincoln clay ends up writing a song that’s (somewhat ambiguously) about him later. he’s meant to be viewed as the hero.
#headcanons#mafia 1#mafia 2#mafia 3#the mafia trilogy#thank you memphis for encouraging this#long post
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Timeline Info We Know
I have been rewatching this series for a while, so might as well compile the stuff we know at this point in time. With Amphibia, it’s hard to know the intricacies of the history itself.
There is a lot of speculation over the timeline, how it all adds up, etc, and this is me attempting to put things together as time goes on, updating it until we get the full picture in Season Three.
If you guys have noticed any other pieces of information, feel free to add on and I’ll gladly look through it!
Okay so we have a picture that says Pollianna was born in 180X to 185X.
In her diary, she mentions that the wars she’s been in are the Bogwater Wars of ‘48 and The Western Toad Invasion of ‘53 so we can safely say those are in 1848 and 1853.
Keep in mind that these wars never stopped. Hop Pop is 68 years old and met Sadie Croaker when he was young so we could deduce these two are at a similar range of age. Sadie Croaker was once active 30 years ago as a spy for a guild and there are implications she still might have connections.
Then we have Yunan, if she is the youngest newt ever to be a general, then we could put her in her mid or late 30s due to the fact that people usually get promoted in their late 40s or 50s. This means that in that span of Yunan’s years, we must’ve gotten the Sand Wars 10+ years ago.
We know from the AMA that Wartwood is an estimate of a thousand years old, the same span as when the music box got stolen and created a massive dark age for the continent.
We also know that the ancestor looks very very similar to Sprig Plantar, creating a line of deduction that maybe these two are connected in some way.
It’s odd that Wartwood was created or founded a thousand years at a similar time that the frog stole the music box, makes me wonder if she settled down in that area at that point in time. It’s a possibility.
Then we get this. Marcy states that the Plantar house was built back in the “second century”. We don’t have much of a good indication of where this “second century” occurred in the timeline but I am curious as to why there are only three centuries spoken.
Is she going off the centuries after the dark age started? If so, that would go along with the time that the frog stole the music box.
However, there’s also the possibility that the Plantar household was created before the fall of Newtopia or the creation of Wartwood, but if that were the case that wouldn’t explain why the Plantar basement is so medieval in its aesthetic.
One clue that could disprove me though is Polliana’s simulation room itself, since if you hear the sound the simulation makes when Polly deactivates it, you could hear what could supposedly be an engine powering down?? (Source, 3:26).
Now that brings us to the present day. There’s some stuff I want to talk about when it comes to the potential of past Earth and Amphibia interactions, since from what we’ve seen, there’s a lot of probability that people from Earth found a way here.
And how a certain character might bring us to a conclusion.
Back in Wax Museum, we are introduced to the mystery of the skipman. Based on a portable CD player called the Discman, these were in use and production throughout the 1980s and subsequently lost traction in the early 2000s. How a skipman got here and in that duration of time implies there’s a way for a human to traverse to Amphibia at that period in time.
And here’s another thing. There’s a character we see in the Season Three intro that already has a lot of implications through her design alone.
I’m talking about this woman, right here.
We don’t really know who Professor P is from the book Marcy found, but even with the lack of information on who that character is, I want to hone in on the fact that the Plantars are making their way to a museum. And in this museum we see that there are a lot of dinosaur displays.
If we look at the design of the woman she appears to work in this branch, probably giving them access to the area, however the UFO earrings she’s wearing implies that she loves diving into the supernatural and unorthodox too.
So we are in a part of the museum that focuses on what we could believe as the study of dinosaurs or paleontology (the study of the history of life on Earth). Both topics are viable because here’s the thing, this leads to a lot of inquiries over why the Plantars are here in the process, and I want to theorize that this woman is very, and I mean very, important in relaying the information of how Amphibia and Earth are connected way back when.
Especially when we already saw a glimpse of what looks like to be a dinosaur-shaped creature back in the Amphibia world.
We won’t know for sure until Season Three, but it’s interesting how we’re probably going to deep dive into the history of the world itself, and it’s going to be a wild ride when everything starts to click together as a result.
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Transformers Tracks: Some of the Objectively Best Transformers Theme Songs
Because I’m a playlist nerd, you can find all of these tracks below compiled into a YouTube playlist here.
(Please do note that the playlist is arranged in the order they are in below, and not in chronological order!)
I have also included the album art for each track/OST so that you can find the right album if you would like!
TRANSFORMER (トランスフォーマー) Scramble City Intro by Satoko Shimonari for G1 is extremely and wonderfully 80s, and would absolutely make an amazing Future Funk remix. Reminds me somewhat of Sailor Moon theme tracks! Pro Tip, this one is also great for karaoke.
1986 Movie Theme by Lion - We all know this one’s obligatory.
Transformer V: Victory Opening Theme ( Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (戦え!超ロボット生命体 トランスフォーマーVビクトリー) by Koji Kaya is so completely slept on by the entire fandom, but it has the perfect mix of 80s vocals and 70s big band flavour which makes it a definite all-time great. Has a very 80s Voltron feel to it, almost.
TRANSFORMERS EVO. by JAM Project for Transformers Animated isn’t particularly my style, but I know it’s extremely popular amongst the wider fanbase so I’m including it here. It’s very high energy!
The Headmasters (トランスフォーマー ザ★ヘッドマスターズ ) by Hironobu Kageyama is another delightfully 80s track, with a touch of 70s big band but with the addition of power guitar which gives it an extra dramatic, powerful flair. This also has an 80s Voltron vibe.
Tamashii no Evolution (魂のエヴォリューション, "Evolution of the Soul") from Beast Wars Metals is interestingly also by Hironobu Kageyama and evokes early 2000s rock, which reminds me of early Fullmetal Alchemist theme songs. That’s a good thing. (It was released as one of the several Beast Wars albums; Please check the track lists, as the above album cover may not be 100% correct.)
Transformers Prime Theme by Brian Tyler does a lot to establish the mood of the series right out the gate, and matches the tone of the series. Love a good orchestral opening in a Western series.
Arrival to Earth by Steve Jablonsky for the first live action Transformers film is probably the best thing to come out of the Bayverse live action Transformers films. (If you like the movies, I’m not hating on them or you, I’m just saying the soundtrack is great and I’m still personally mad about the rest of it.)
Q-Transformers: Mystery of Convoy Returns (キュートランスフォーマー 帰ってきたコンボイの謎 Theme - Physical by OLDCODEX is so wildly funny, mostly because it is a heavy metal track for a series that is essentially about little chibi versions of the characters. It rocks though, so if you’re into metal, here’s the track for you. I have no idea if this ever got released as a single anywhere, because I can’t seem to find it if it was, but above is the series logo.
TRANSFORMER -Dream Again- by Psychic Lover for Transformers Armada is another metal track that manages to also feel like early 2000s rock music, and it’s pretty solid. If the Q-Transformers track is too much for you, this one is the perfect medium. The album this track is on includes a bunch of the other Japanese theme songs across all shows, which is also pretty cool and is probably why they went with the G1 Autobot/logo design here.
Back to Life (80s Remix) · Hailee Steinfeld for the Bumblebee live action movie is an interesting combo of current 2020s pop music with a replica-retro vibe, which makes it fit in nicely with a lot of the classic Transformers tracks.
Honō no Overdrive ~Car Robot Cybertron~ (炎のオーバードライブ ～カーロボットサイバトロン～, "Blazing Overdrive ~Car Robot Autobots~) by Koji Wada is the opening for RID. It’s another high energy rock theme, very late 90s/early 2000s as was the trend. It’s a good track though, and I feel like it should be included primarily because the vocal performance is great.
CALL YOU... 君と僕の未来, "CALL YOU... The Future of You and Me" by Shinji Kakijima for Galaxy Force is yet another rock/metal track, but a little softer than some of the other Transformers metal tracks and very much an early 2000s metal revival type rock song. (Lots of these in modern Transformers.)
Taiyō no transform!! 太陽のtransform!!, "Solar transform!!" by Hiroshi Kitadani for Super Link is great because it evokes the 80s power guitar and keyboard with very 90s (and almost cheesy feeling) vocals and beats. It’s refreshing after all the metal and rock music to get a little bit of a throwback theme.
The above is not a fully comprehensive list, but they are the tracks that first come to mind when I think of pretty solid Transformers jams!
Here’s the link to the playlist again so you don’t have to scroll through this whole mess lmao.
BONUS: Album Recommendation!
Transformers History of Music 1984-1990 produced by Colombia Music Entertainment contains what is as far as I can tell every single piece of Japanese Transformers music created between those dates. It is an absolutely fantastic album, and if you can find it, I would recommend you get it, because every track is a banger. 10/10
What are your favourite Transformers theme songs? I will add any below a cut if you feel I have left out a theme that you particularly like!
#transformers#g1#headmasters#tfa#transformers victory#transformers the movie#ost#playlist#tf playlist#the transformers#long post#armada#transformers armada#bumblebee#music#galaxy force#super link#beast wars#transformers music#transformers ost#maccadam#tfp#transformers prime
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May I request 41 - First Kiss and 94 - Hair Brushing/Braiding for the Leverage OT3, please? (Also extra bonus points if you give Eliot beads in his hair like in The Ice Man Job, because we didn't get NEARLY enough of that in the show) Thank you!
I cannot believe I wrote this whole thing out and then never published it. I’m so sorry, it’s been at least twenty-four years since you sent in this ask, please accept my humble apologies and also this ficlet.
However, this prompt is just pure fluff, and I hate to tell you this but I am not a fluff writer. I just can’t pull off that unadulterated sweetness. I am in this fandom for the shenanigans, first, last and foremost! So this fic is now a 5+1 of Eliot and Parker trying to seduce Hardison.
1. Parker thinks they need to give him gifts, so she goes through her stash and picks out the largest, fanciest jewel she’s ever stolen. Then she realizes: Hardison likes stories. He spends hours giving their aliases histories and pets and allergies and favorite foods, he can get a whole sordid history of jealousy and betrayal from a single corporate email chain, and Parker knows for a cold fact that he writes little stories with his online friends about being wizards together.
She goes through her stash again and picks out the most cursed thing she’s ever stolen.
It’s a jeweled statuette, almost as tall as her forearm, made of gold and studded with precious and semi-precious stones. Mysterious deaths have befallen five separate owners of this thing. Its base is dented from the time it was used to bludgeon Owner Number Three to death. The tiny rubies it has for eyes follow you across the room.
Parker puts a bow on it and leaves it in Hardison’s room while he’s sleeping. He wakes up to this horrible little statue watching him from his bedside table.
He texts the group chat, Hey did anyone put an evil little gold guy in my bedroom last night? But Parker chickens out and says nothing (drunkenly betting Eliot that she can seduce Hardison is one thing, but admitting that she likes him is something else altogether). Everyone else texts back variations on “nope.” (Except Sophie, who just sends back a string of heart eyes emojis and a wikipedia link. She loves cursed artifacts.) So Hardison puts the statue away in a closet somewhere and figures he’ll deal with it later.
Parker is mildly offended that he put her gift in a closet. She goes into his room the next night and puts it back on the bedside table, where it clearly belongs.
This goes on for a week. Hardison puts the statue in a desk drawer, then in one of the cabinets in the office downstairs, then in the dumpster down the street. Every day he wakes up to those glittering red eyes watching him sleep. He’s asked his internet buddies if anyone knows a good exorcist. Hardison doesn’t really believe in curses, but also? What the fuck. What the fuck.
~
2. Eliot assumes the drunken bet will be forgotten by morning. What kind of world would it be if people always followed through on promises they made while they could barely stay vertical? So he spends the morning nursing his hangover and cleaning his knives. Cleaning guns is no good while hungover—all the snaps and clicks of popping things in and out of place sound like actual gunfire when you’re hungover, it’s a nightmare—but knives are quiet and have no moving parts. Buffing and polishing them is soothingly repetitive work, and every once in a while he can throw one at one of the dartboards on the walls and reassure himself that his reflexes are still sound even after that much tequila.
It’s only when he gets Hardison’s text about the golden statuette that magically appeared in his room overnight that Eliot realizes Parker’s actually going for it. After some internal debate about whether he’s going to stoop to this or not, Eliot decides what the hell and starts making plans.
Eliot agrees that gifts are the way to go, but not stolen gifts. Not things. Anyone can give a thing. Proper wooing is about giving experiences.
Eliot plans for three days. On the fourth day, he and Hardison have their irregularly scheduled monthly coffee date, and Eliot texts him beforehand to say he wants to do it at the brewpub this time. Hardison arrives to find a deceptively simple meal: basic country fare perfected through years of experimentation, made with the best ingredients Eliot can get his hands on. And Eliot, after all, is still a retrieval specialist. There’s very little in the world he can’t get his hands on.
And yet the night ends and somehow he has not gotten his hands on Hardison.
This is just not right. Eliot knows how to deploy a smolder, okay, Tangled reference aside he is damn good at flirting and he knows the looks he’s giving Hardison are clear as day. It’d be one thing if Hardison had turned him down, or if he’d been uneasily unwilling, or even if his eyes had widened slightly in suppressed panic and he’d abruptly found a reason to leave. Eliot can take rejection, bet or no, and he’d have bowed out graciously without a fuss. But this was much, much worse.
Hardison didn’t even notice he was flirting.
He’s going to have to up his game.
~
3. “How do you seduce people?” Parker asks bluntly, turning up at Sophie’s door just past midnight.
Sophie, despite the hour, is utterly delighted by the question.
This goes as well as you would expect.
~
4. Eliot’s taken a lot of dates to sports games. Hardison may prefer sparkly elves with purple lightning magic to a decent MMA fight, but baseball is the American pastime. Eliot gets them perfect seats, hot dogs from the best vendor in the stadium, even chilled beer that he smuggles in without letting it get warm. It’s going to be a perfect game.
And it is. At first. Hardison, it turns out, has a lot of opinions about baseball. What he does not have is an understanding of the rules. They’re not even into the second inning by the time Eliot finally snaps and starts arguing with him about it.
They make it all the way to the fifth inning before Eliot realizes that Hardison’s basing his complaints off the rules of a game from a Star Wars novel.
They’re at the bottom of the eighth before Eliot will speak to him again.
~
5. Eliot and Parker are drunk again. This is not intentional. They didn’t even mean to come to this bar, but the smoothie place with the fried oreos that Eliot had brought Parker here to try was playing such incredibly bad music that they’d ordered the oreos to go and fled. The bar was just the coziest looking place on the block, and of course they’d ordered drinks to avoid being rude––Eliot had entertained himself for a few minutes scouring the menu for something that would pair well with fried oreos and popcorn chicken.
And now they’re drunk. The conversation has, perhaps inevitably, turned to the ongoing bet.
“I tried everything!” Parker wails. “I laughed at every joke, I touched my hair constantly, I got him talking about things he likes.” She thunks her forehead on the bar. “All that happened is now I know the complete history of orcs in western literature.”
“Hardison wouldn’t know flirting if it pinched him on the ass,” Eliot grumbles.
Parker slaps his arm. “No pinching Hardison!”
“I’m not going to—I don’t pinch people!”
Parker’s ignoring him. Eliot pouts and takes another sip of his drink. He’s not entirely sure what this one is––it’s blue and kind of fizzy, that’s all he can say for sure. Parker took over the drinks menu several glasses ago, and she’s been picking them based on what has the most fun name to say. Eliot’s pretty sure the alcohol content’s been doubling with each order.
“Eliot,” Parker slurs, “we need to work together.”
“What?”
Parker lifts her head from the bar and frowns at him, the way she does when she’s figured out the obvious solution and is just waiting for everyone else to get on the same page. It’s adorable. It’s always adorable, but right now her eyes are wide and slightly unfocused from the alcohol and she’s listing sideways a little, almost as if she’s unbalanced, and it is the most adorable thing Eliot has ever seen. Parker’s never unbalanced, but some part of Eliot’s fuzzy brain thinks she’s about to fall on top of him and cannot wait to catch her.
“You can’t seduce Hardison,” Parker points out. Eliot is drunk enough to get offended by this, but too drunk to get out a complaint before she continues, “I can’t seduce Hardison. But if we work together, the two of us can definitely seduce Hardison. Together.”
Eliot stares at her. Then he takes another sip of his fizzy blue drink. Later, when questioned, he will blame his next words on that drink.
“Worth a shot.”
They take Hardison to a movie. They research for three weeks beforehand. They find the best movie theater in town, with the nicest seats, the biggest screens, and concession snacks that Hardison likes, and they buy tickets for the midnight premiere of the superhero movie that Hardison hasn’t shut up about for the past month. Parker even hacks into the theater’s computers in a last-minute fit of nerves and cross-references the credit cards with drivers’ licenses to make sure the people sitting in front of them won’t be too tall.
Parker witnesses a kidnapping in the parking lot while the boys are getting popcorn. They don’t even stay long enough to catch the commercials.
~
+ 1. “Hey Eliot,” Hardison says during movie night, a little over a week later. “Remember the Ice Man Job?”
Eliot groans. “I try not to.”
Hardison throws a piece of popcorn at his face. “Shut up. Remember how you did your hair for that one? With the little—those little beads on, like, a braid?”
Eliot shoots Hardison a suspicious glance. “Yeah, I remember.”
“Teach me how to do that.”
Eliot shoots Hardison another, more deliberate look, this one pointedly directed at Hardison’s complete lack of braidable locks.
Hardison rolls his eyes as if that’s a silly detail to get hung up on and leans forward to dig around in one of the boxes he has under his coffee table. He emerges with a ziplock bag of plastic beads in no time flat and hands it triumphantly to Eliot. Then he yanks a few cushions out from behind Parker, who’s sitting on his other side, and puts them on the floor in front of him. “Sit here?” he asks Parker, patting the cushion pile.
Parker takes a moment to consider being offended at having her cushions stolen, but curiosity gets the better of her and she just plops down between Hardison’s legs, grabbing the bowl of popcorn as she goes, and waits.
Hardison lifts her hair with sudden gentleness, drawing it over her shoulders and letting it fall down her back in a golden wave. His fingers brush against her neck. Parker shivers. Eliot is distantly aware that he’s gone perfectly still, focused with a hunter’s intensity on Hardison’s dark, graceful fingers carding through Parker’s hair.
Hardison leans back, hands on his knees, and Eliot breathes again. “Well?” Hardison looks over at Eliot, a tiny smirk of challenge on his lips. “Show me how it’s done.”
Eliot is suddenly, brutally aware of how close they are. Hardison’s couch is obscenely comfortable, which is half the reason movie nights are at Hardison’s in the first place, but it is not large. Their thighs are touching. Hardison leans away, to give Eliot access to Parker’s hair, and he’s still so close that Eliot would barely have to reach out a hand to—
Eliot ruthlessly shoves that thought down into the dark where it belongs. He dealt with this, he dealt with this years ago, and accepting Parker’s stupid bet doesn’t mean he’s forgotten the way Hardison and Parker look at each other. It just means he doesn’t mind losing for a good cause.
So he keeps his tone steady and his fingers brisk as he shows Hardison how to braid the clunky plastic beads into Parker’s hair, and if he flushes with heat when their hands brush each other, well, nobody has to know. He’s been trained to withstand eight different schools of torture. It won’t show on his face. His voice never once falters.
Parker has had no such training. Her lips have parted, and her breathing is shallow. She’s staring glassy-eyed at the TV. Hardison can’t see her face, sitting behind her, but Eliot watches her carefully, worried that they need to call this off. Parker’s not used to intimacy, to closeness that means something, and for all the three of them have spent half their movie nights literally on top of each other, this is something else. This has weight.
Eliot puts a hand on her shoulder, pressing down just enough that Parker startles and cants a glance over at him. Eliot raises his eyebrows in question, and Parker glares back: don’t you fucking dare. Eliot backs off. Hardison, frowning in concentration as he threads a wisp of Parker’s hair through a green bead, graciously pretends he didn’t see the exchange.
Hardison gets the hang of the beading fairly quickly, and Eliot shows him a few different techniques. He’s almost managed to convince himself that nothing is actually happening when Hardison says, conversationally, “You two are really bad at this.”
Eliot glowers his confusion. “At movie night? You started this, if you wanted to actually watch Alien then you shouldn’t have—”
Hardison’s smile is soft, but Eliot decides for his own safety to focus on the laughter at its edge. “No, at this.” And then he slides his hand onto Parker’s neck, caresses her cheek, and isn’t the slightest bit surprised when she gasps.
Parker whips around, and there’s hurt on her face but it dies in the glow of Hardison’s gentle, unteasing smile. Hardison pulls her up with the lightest of touches, and she goes, eyes fixed on his like salvation.
They kiss sweet and slow, and Eliot’s heart twists in his chest and he can’t breathe. He needs to leave now before he shatters in half, but if he moves then they will look at him, and he would rather never breathe again than meet their eyes right now.
Hardison breaks off the kiss, gazing at Parker with something just this side of wonder, and then he does look at Eliot. Eliot flinches. He opens his mouth to…say something, make some joke or hasty excuse and scramble out the door, but Hardison raises a hand to Eliot’s face, slides his long fingers to cup Eliot’s neck, and pulls him forward, as gently as he did Parker.
It’s a chaste kiss, no more than a soft press of lips, because Eliot is too stunned to respond and Hardison doesn’t push. It lasts a long time. A whole era of change happens in the span of that kiss, as everything Eliot thought he knew tears out of place and then settles, gingerly, into a new understanding.
Hardison pulls away, his hand still warm on the back of Eliot’s neck. His smile is pure sunshine. Eliot finds himself smiling back, helpless.
Hardison’s grin turns smug. “And that,” he says, looking between Eliot and Parker, “is how you do it. Y’all are disasters, honestly, I can’t believe two master criminals working together couldn’t manage a single real date—”
Eliot heaves a deep sigh and drags Hardison into a headlock, pinning his arms when he flails. Parker surges to her knees and starts tickling him mercilessly.
They don’t finish the movie.
#finx writes#I didn't quite get Eliot's hair in there but I hope this works anyway#leverage#leverage fic#leverage ot3
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